Lisa Trainor is a 3rd year Ph.D. Kinesiology student focusing on sport and exercise psychology. She conducts qualitative research on athlete psychological well-being, sport injury, and psychological growth, including interviews with high-performance athletes who have competed in the Olympic or Paralympic games. With the supervision of KIN assistant professor Dr. Andrea Bundon and KIN professor emeritus Dr. Peter Crocker, she aims to expand the conceptualization of mental wellness in sport and “better understand how athletes conceptualize sport psychological well-being.”
Lisa began her pursuit for sport and exercise psychology at UBC, where she studied Kinesiology and played for the varsity women’s ice hockey team during her undergraduate years. She learned more about field and postgraduate research while volunteering at Dr. Crocker’s lab on sport and exercise psychology. Her volunteer experience motivated her to pursue a master’s degree under Dr. Crocker’s supervision and hone her specific research interests. Upon completing her masters, she continued her research at UBC KIN as a doctoral student.
Lisa states that this field is important to her because it informs health practioners working with athletes how to advocate for their athletes’ health. “I believe that focusing on individual-driven understandings of athlete psychological wellbeing can help with the identification and conceptualization of sport-specific wellbeing and develop strategies for practitioners (i.e., sport psychologists) to better support athlete wellbeing.”
Lisa has now worked as a TA for an impressive 11 terms. From acquiring new pedagogical skills to building positive student relationships, she has gained significant insight from her TA experience and encourages any student to become a TA, if given the opportunity. “By being a TA, you’re able to build a number of teaching related skills that you can apply post-grad, as well as work closely with different instructors and KIN students,” notes Lisa. In addition, she obtained a Certificate in Advanced Teaching and Learning, taught a self-directed course at Langara College, and has completed multiple teaching workshops. She has recently become a an executive board member of the International Society of Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise (QRSE). She joins the board as an Early Career Researcher.
Being open-minded is Lisa’s most important takeaway from her Ph.D. thus far. “It is a time in your life that you’re able to explore new things and learn about yourself and what you’re interested in. I have been able to experience many different facets of research, teaching, and academia, all of which have contributed to shaping my grad journey and future aspirations.” After graduation, Lisa wishes to continue her research and teach classes at a university.
Lisa’s tips for prospective KIN graduate students: “If you are interested and passionate about learning more in a specific subject then I would encourage you to follow that passion. Grad school exposes you to several new experiences – so if you have the chance and the passion, go for it!”
To learn more about Lisa’s work, follow her on Twitter @trainorL.